The Blessing's In The Curse
by blackcat47
Summary: Lucius Malfoy is sentenced after the war. He believes Narcissa to be dead. Maybe, just maybe his unusual punishment will be his salvation.


Just a one-shot that's been in my head for weeks. I thought it was time to get it out. I'm not completely happy with it, but hope you enjoy! Please review. :)

* * *

"What the defense seems to be forgetting is that despite a last-minute _change of heart_, if one can even call it that- are the years, _years _of service to Voldemort and his cause."

Lucius Malfoy sat in a hard, straight-backed wooden chair in the center of a courtroom located in the lower levels of the Ministry. It was the eighth day he'd occupied the chair and the numbness created in his legs was only a shadow of the cold unfeeling in his heart. He barely listened to the voices around him. He could hardly muster answers when asked.

He was guilty, this much was true, but not of what the Wizarding World believed him to be. Yes, he'd followed Voldemort blindly as a misguided youth full of the pure blooded ideals passed on to him by his own father, but he'd quickly become disillusioned with the hypocrisy of a man who wanted to kill and enslave Muggles and Muggle-borns, despite his own mother being in that group. Lucius had no love lost for Muggles, this much was true, but he didn't desire them murdered. And then- when Narcissa had become pregnant with Draco after three successive miscarriages- he lost his desire to be anything other than a better husband and father.

When Voldemort had returned the second time, how Lucius had grieved. If he didn't do what was asked of him, his family would be destroyed. So he obeyed.

In the end, it hadn't mattered. Draco had been sentenced to five years in Azkaban a month prior to Lucius' own trial and Narcissa-

Narcissa had surprised everyone save Lucius when she lied to save both Draco and the Potter boy. He had always known her heart- had always seen it through tiny cracks in the haughty, elegant, and frigid facade she wore for everyone.

In the moments following Potter's surprising "resurrection," several Death Eaters, including Greyback, had seen through the mask as well, and as his wife took her son's hand and led him away from the violence, they came after her. They carried her off towards the Forbidden Forest while Draco stood helpless, outnumbered and wandless. By the time Lucius made it to his son, members of the Order were already assisting Aurors in arrests. As father and son were bound in chains and led away, they passed Greyback in his own chains, and covered in fresh blood. He sneered at them, and laughed. Lucius still awoke in the night with Greyback's words ringing in his ears. "Your wife is dead. I tore her open and left her lying in the forest, Malfoy."

And so Lucius Malfoy was guilty of his wife's murder and his son's imprisonment. He had no intention of pleading anything but- and loathed how the defense kept trying to lessen his punishment. He wanted to die. He wanted to forget. He willed the trial to speed along in his mind so that he could be sentenced to the Kiss and leave the misery of a life without his beloved behind.

"Will the defendant stand for his sentencing?" Lucius vaguely heard someone say.

He remained rooted in the chair.

"Lucius Malfoy will now stand." He heard more clearly this time and weakly stood to his feet, eyes closing in the hope this would all soon be over.

One of the jurors stood, unrolling a parchment in front of her. She cleared her throat and began to read, "We the jury have taken into account all the information and evidence presented here. We find the defendant guilty on all charges-"

Lucius sighed in relief. _Guilty._

"- While his actions during both wars are inexcusable, we don't believe Mr. Malfoy deserves the Kiss or a lifetime in Azkaban. The Kiss is on the one hand, too harsh a punishment, and on the other, too easy a punishment."

"What then does the jury suggest a fitting punishment for his war crimes?" The judge prodded.

"We suggest that the most fitting punishment for Lucius Malfoy is a life _lived-_"

Lucius peered up at them from heavy eyelids.

"- a long life of enduring the type of treatment he and those like him so often gave out to those they believed _inferior_-"

The judge presiding over the hearing interrupted, "May I remind the jury that it is impossible to render a wizard Muggle and I fail to see how permanent loss of wand privileges a fitting punishment."

"Your honor, we are not suggesting an attempt to make Mr. Malfoy live the rest of his life as a Muggle since, as you remind us, it is impossible. No, we believe the most effective way for Mr. Malfoy to truly _understand _is for him to live out his days ostracized, hated, and feared. We hereby sentence Lucius Malfoy to-"

Lucius could listen to no more. He would live.

The courtroom erupted into mayhem.

* * *

Narcissa Black Malfoy stared at the wall of the bedroom she'd occupied for the past three months. She had been brought here after being discreetly dismissed from St. Mungo's into the care of one Mr. Harry James Potter. Since then she had left the guest room on the third landing of Grimmauld Place exactly three times. Mr. Potter - Harry as she'd come to think of him- had accompanied her each time despite the unheard pleas to leave her be.

The entirety of the Wizarding world believed her dead, save for the Mediwitch at St. Mungo's who'd healed her, and Remus Lupin who'd found her lying on the forest floor, and Harry Potter who'd granted her sanctuary.

All three had tried to no avail to convince the stubborn witch to allow them to tell at least her son and husband that she wasn't- as they believed- dead.

Her ears picked up Lucius' name being spoken somewhere downstairs and she shuddered. Harry would climb the stairs soon, she reckoned, begging her once more to allow him to tell the truth. Narcissa knew there was no love lost between Harry and her husband, but she also knew he'd formed an attachment and genuine care for her.

She was not the first witch to lie over Harry and save him from death and he- he was not the first boy she'd risked everything for.

A knock at her door came and plucked her from her thoughts- just as she'd predicted.

"I'm rather busy at the moment Mr. Potter." She said softly.

"Mrs. Malfoy-" Harry sighed, "_Narcissa _we need to talk."

Today was Lucius' sentencing. She knew that by this time tomorrow he would either be handed over to the Dementors or executed. They had been lenient with Draco considering he'd been a child for much of the war. There would be no such reprieve granted to her husband.

"I don't feel much like conversation today." She finally replied.

"Narcissa, today Lucius will be sent away to- to his fate," He gently managed.

"I am well aware Mr. Potter." She returned to the cold comfort of formality.

Harry took a deep breath. "Narcissa- are you really going to lose the only opportunity you have left to see your husband? He deserves to know you are alive. He-"

Narcissa looked deep into Harry's eyes and nervously reached her hand to her face, tracing the scars that lined her jaw and neck.

She smiled weakly. "I appreciate your concern Harry, I do. I am most grateful for your discretion and hospitality despite the way my family has treated you."

"You saved my life, it's only right that I-"

"Harry, please, let me finish." She looked to the hands now resting in her lap. "I love Lucius more than I can express. I always have. It's because I love him that I want him to remember me from- _before._"

"And what about Draco? He needs you. He will need you when he is released."

"I would only be a burden to him. He will have a difficult enough time re-entering society without a mother who-" She couldn't bring herself to finish.

The two sat in silence for some time before Harry spoke again. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for Mr. Malfoy. I thought if I testified then it might-"

"You did your best and that is all you could have done. Thank you."

Harry stood and faced her once more. "I'm leaving for the sentencing in one hour. Please let me know if you change your mind."

Narcissa chose not to answer, instead turning her eyes to a spot on the wall.

* * *

"I simply won't do it Harry. I won't" Remus Lupin fumed at the younger man as they stood outside the Ministry.

"Professor, I understand, but they want the sentencing carried out swiftly and they want someone they can trust to do it. They don't want to risk someone from the dark killing him. They are serious about him staying alive."

"Well, it's a cruel punishment, even for Lucius Malfoy, but I suppose it's better than a lifetime in Azkaban."

"So you'll do it then?"

Lupin took several gulps of air to calm himself down. "I just don't know that I can Harry. I work really hard to maintain control over my- "

"I understand Professor and I don't blame you. When do they need an answer?"

"By morning."

Harry sat down on the nearest bench and crossed his arms over his stomach.

"Where is he now?" The younger man asked.

"They are keeping him in his holding cell tonight, but will return him to Malfoy Manor when- when it's time."

"Right then."

Remus joined him on the bench. "When will you tell Narcissa?"

Harry shrugged, "I suppose when I return home."

The two sat with their unspoken thoughts.

"Harry? Do you think you could meet me at the Manor tomorrow with Narcissa and in the meantime refrain from telling her about her husband?"

Curiosity peaked on the other man's face and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I have an idea."

* * *

Lucius Malfoy sat in his favorite reading chair in his office at Malfoy Manor. He hadn't been able to enter his and Narcissa's chambers and doubted he ever would.

Despite the exhaustion in his bones he remained awake as he waited for the Ministry to find the "right person for the job."

Lucius could only pray they would find someone vicious enough to lose control and end his life then and there. That's all he wanted now.

He faintly heard voices at the door. His auror guard was speaking with whoever had approached.

Lucius tried to quell the anxiety in the pit of his stomach. He was ready to have this over and done with.

The door creaked open and Lucius found himself face to face with Remus Lupin. Lucius' heart sank.

Remus noticed the change of facial expression and spoke. "Not who you were expecting Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius turned his eyes to the ceiling and gathered strength. "No, you are not who I expected, but nevertheless, I will ask you-" He paused never having bowed and scraped to a member of the Order before. "I implore of you to kill me and kill me swiftly."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Afraid of being ostracized, are we?" The man held little sympathy for the blond seated before him. He had, however, spent the last three months rekindling a friendship with Narcissa. He had always thought her to be different and more caring than many of the other Slytherins he knew. It was for her sake that he acted now.

There was a lengthy silence before Lucius answered. His eyes remained on his desk. There sat a picture of himself and Narcissa from the day Draco was born. She smiled more radiantly that day then he'd ever seen in the duration of their marriage. She hadn't smiled much in those last years at all and it was his fault. If only he'd stood up to Voldemort the first time. Perhaps things could have been different.

"I'm afraid of living a life without my wife."

Remus' eyes met Lucius' before Remus shifted his eyes to the secondary entrance behind Malfoy and opened the door with a simple charm.

"What if you don't have to?" A voice behind Lucius asked.

Every muscle in his body tensed and he squeezed his eyes shut afraid to open them. Remus silently excused himself as he spied a tear rolling down the other man's cheek.

Keeping his eyes closed for fear he might break the spell he spoke through his tears. "Cissa?"

Narcissa closed the distance between them and placed her hands on his shoulders as she stood behind him.

"It's me Lucius."

The tears fell faster.

He took her left hand in both of his and pull it down to his chest where his fingers searched for her wedding ring. His heart lurched when he found it. She was real. She was there.

"How? You- they killed you."

Narcissa turned his chair and fell to her knees in front of him, gently placing her thumbs over his closed eyes, wiping away tears.

"They left me for dead, this is true, but Remus Lupin found me first."

Lucius cautiously opened his eyes and stared at the palms of her hands, kissing both of them.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why would you let me think you were dead?"

His eyes found the strength to look upon her and he saw. He saw how pale she'd become, how bruised the skin beneath her eyes looked. He noticed how the blue in her eyes was different, how they almost _glowed. _He took his hands and carefully touched the scars that ran from her jaw, down her neck, and beneath her dress. She pulled away from his touch and began to cry.

And he understood.

Lucius held her face in both his hands.

"Oh my darling girl." He kissed her. "Did you think I would care?"

She was the one who closed her eyes this time.

"You married a pureblooded witch, Lucius, not a-" Her voice dropped to a whisper, "-not a scarred monster."

Lucius cursed her stubbornness and inability to see how much he truly loved her. Perhaps that was his fault- in the end.

He leaned in and began kissing her scar with utmost care.

"I love this scar, do you understand? This scar means you are _alive _and here with me now and-"

"- yes, and a-" She breathlessly tried to interrupt.

"-and the most beautiful witch I've ever laid eyes on. That hasn't changed."

Narcissa felt a surge of love for her husband like she'd never known and with that a primal and instinctual need awoke within- and it frightened her.

She sprung from the floor and backed away. "Everything has changed Lucius! Everything! And if you can't say it, I will. I'm a _werewolf _Lucius. A werewolf! I'll always love you, but this cannot continue. I will only hurt you in the end.

Her husband stood and stepped towards her. "You will do no such thing Cissa. I know you."

"You knew me Lucius. You cannot possibly imagine how being this thing has changed me. How I fight it every second of every day. You cannot know the things I want to do to you. What I would do to you." She wiped at her face with a handkerchief. "I-when Harry told me you were here- that you were free, I thought I could see you. I didn't realize how you would affect me.

And suddenly, Lucius Malfoy understood the timing of the day's events. Narcissa may not have known how she would react, but he would wager a large sum that Remus Lupin did. The Gryffindor had proven to be quite the Slytherin. Lucius sat back down at his desk and picked up The Daily Prophet, handing it out to her.

"You never were one to stay on top of the news my Dear. Do you really not know the terms upon which I was allowed to return home?"

She slowly reached for the paper and read the front page. When she finished and looked up she saw him begin to unbutton his jacket. He removed it, placing it on the desk. Lucius then repeated the action with the black shirt that had been beneath, finally pulling on his left sleeve until his neck and shoulder were entirely exposed.

Narcissa's heart raced and her breathing grew shallow.

Lucius suppressed a smile as he saw how her eyes began to glow ever so softly. Merlin, she was beautiful.

She swallowed. "I-I won't do it Lucius. I can't curse you to this." She began to back away again.

"Narcissa Black Malfoy, if you won't, Remus Lupin _will. _I beg of you not to subject me to being touched by a Gryffindor." He smirked playfully.

She backed all the way against the door, placing her hands on the knob behind her. Lucius moved to his feet and crossed over to her. He removed her hands from the knob and guided them to his neck. He ever so cautiously undid the buttons on the front of her robe and she moaned softly.

Lucius tilted his head to the side and the scent of his desire became palpable. Instinct began to fight its way to the surface and as Narcissa gave way, she and the wolf inside her became one.

The man before her truly was her partner and equal in every way- her perfect mate. She thought she'd lost him. He thought he'd lost her. This curse she bore was nothing - _nothing -_ in the face of having a second chance with Lucius.

His lips crashed passionately onto hers and he continued to remove her robes.

Lucius pulled back and smiled, "Now, my darling Cissa. Tell me more about these things you want to do to me. Or better yet-"

Now free of all reservation, Narcissa Malfoy kissed her husband's neck, and in a new start for both of them, bit deeply into his shoulder.


End file.
